The clock went to zero, the checkered flag waved, and my life long dream of going to Le Mans accomplished. I will try o distill my thoughts into two blogs. There are too many to condense in to one. If you are a reader of my blog and not a personal friend, consider yourself lucky. My friends w2ill be hearing ab out this for months, maybe until next June.

My first impression of the entire week is that Le Mans blows Indianapolis away. This is not meant to be a put down of most beloved 500. It is a matter of scale. Everything is bigger in Le Mans. From the pre race buildup that begins with scrutineering, to the post-race podium ceremony, everything is made to feel like it is the most important event.

Pre-Race

The palpable buzz in the crowd built all day. The grid walk, like those of Sebring and the Rolex 24, was a madhouse of fans looking for their favorite teams. The scene reinforced why I don’t do grid walks anymore. I was content to watch from the stands.

The brief simple pre-race ceremony was direct and to the point. I remember when the 500 opening ceremony was like that.

Two things stood out. The parade of flags of each drivers’ nation acknowledge that Le Mans is an international event. Flag bearers then moved to stand by the cars of that country. It’s as if this race is the Olympics of motorsport.

La Marseilles– I have always liked the French national anthem, but to hear it sung accompanied by a brass band live brought me to tears. It is such a stirring anthem.

The cars then started and rolled off for the pace lap, The field lined up, came off the final turn, the tricolor waved, and the clock started.

The Race

At the end of lap 1, when Ferrari had already jumped to the lead, I had to remind myself that I was not dreaming. After the second lap, I settled into watching the race. I was glad that the rain had held off for the start.

Rain would play a major role in the story of the 2024 edition of Le Mans. An early shower had some teams deciding to go to wet tires immediately. Others stayed out. The shower was brief, and the track dried quickly. That set up two different strategies early. In a 24 hour race, even early decisions can have a long-term effect.

The four hour full course yellow for rain set up an intriguing ending.

In the end, Ferrari won again. Nolan Siegel was the American bright spot as part of the winning LMP2 United Autosport team.

Watching Le Mans

Veterans of Daytona and Sebring are accustomed to walk around to various vantage points during the race. everyone has their favorite spots for the start and the finish. At Le Mans this is difficult to do because of the siz of the track. I wanted to go watch from Arnage. All I had to do was leave the track, catch a bus and take it to catch another bus, reenter a track gate. The process took nearly an hour because of the long lines waiting to board the buses.

Of course, three minutes after arriving, the rain started. It was one of the heavier downpours akthough it di not last long.

Arnage is a slow corner right after the high speed Indianapolis corner. It is a public road that has been incorporated into the track. I got a few photos, but not as many as I had hoped.

The track has provided several big screen televisions in the several villages for fans to watch the race.

Going to L e Mans has fulfilled a 65-year-old dream of mine. My heart was so full at the end of the race. Le Mans is more than a 24 hour race. It is an entire week of revealing the components one by one. It’s a fascinating process.

In the week before the race, I learned a lot about myself as well. I can travel alone to Europe. I learned enough French to understand what people told me and to make myself understood. Thanks, Google Translate and my AirBnB host.

I have a few more things to share, including some travel tips, then I will move on. I promise. Thanks for following along and allowing me to share the journey of a lifetime.